Photograph by Gwen Sanchez for Texas Student Media
This year’s Greenview Development and Majestic Realty Men’s Pro Tennis Open features some exciting athletes and storylines at Texas Tennis Center in Austin. University of Texas star Pierre-Yves Bailly, above, will be attempting to defend his 2023 title and become the first player to achieve such a feat at this tournament. Last year, Bailly faced fellow Longhorn Siem Woldeab in the Open’s final, where Bailly claimed a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in a match played indoors due to rain. While Bailly fought toward a tournament victory from a wild card spot last year, he will be better positioned in 2024 as the tournament’s No. 8 overall seed. Longhorn alum Cleeve Harper will be joining Bailly as a second competitor representing UT Austin. Both men will look to carry on the Longhorns’ recent success here as UT graduate Malaika Rapolu took home the victory on Sunday at the H-E-B Women’s Pro Tennis Open.
Tuesday’s order of play features the second and final round of singles qualifying and the first round of doubles. Not before 12:30 p.m. on Court 3, Bailly and his doubles partner, Stefan Dostanic, will face the second-seeded team of Adam Jones and Barnaby Smith. Harper and Patrick Harper (no relation), the top-seeded doubles team, will face Credit Chaiyarin and Jared Thompson in the third match on Court 5, not before 12:30 p.m.
The tournament’s top seed in singles is Toby Kodat, a 21-year-old from Bradenton, Florida, who will look to dethrone Bailly and claim his third tournament victory of the year. Joining Kodat among the tournament’s top seeds are No. 2 Duarte Vale, No. 3 Alastair Gray and No. 4 Patrick Maloney. Vale will be returning to the Men’s Pro Open for his second straight year, looking to advance past last year’s quarterfinals. Vale, the Portugal native, will be opening the main draw against countryman, Tiago Torres. Gray and Maloney will be making their first main draw appearances in Austin. Gray is searching for his first title of 2024, while Maloney has already claimed victory at the M15 Los Angeles. — Connor Kirby